C1 ADVANCED · GRAMMAR · PART 2
Relative clauses
Whose, whom, which for a whole idea, prepositions in relative clauses, what and whatever.
Finn says
At C1, relative clauses get more formal: prepositions move to the front, 'whom' appears, and 'which' can refer to a whole idea. Part 2 loves these!
The basics
who / which / that
people / things; that only in defining clauses
The report that was published yesterday…
whose
possession, for people and things
a company whose profits have doubled
where / when / why
place, time, reason
the reason why she resigned
Formal relative clauses
Preposition + whom / which
formal: the preposition goes first
the colleague with whom I work; the house in which she was born
Quantity + of whom / which
some of whom, most of which, none of which
He has three sisters, all of whom live abroad.
, which
refers to the whole previous idea
The train was late, which meant we missed the start.
What, whatever and whoever
what
= the thing(s) that
What surprised me was his reaction.
whatever / whoever / wherever
= anything / anyone / anywhere
Take whatever you need.
How it comes up in Part 2
In Part 2 you write one word in each gap. No word is given, so you need to know the grammar.
She has two brothers, both of whom are doctors.
After a preposition, for people → whom.
The flight was cancelled, which meant spending the night at the airport.
', which' refers to the whole situation.
This is the author whose latest novel won the prize.
Possession: the author's novel → whose novel.
Common mistakes
- ✗ The man to who I spoke was helpful.✓ The man to whom I spoke was helpful.After a preposition, use whom (people) or which (things).
- ✗ He failed the exam, what disappointed his parents.✓ He failed the exam, which disappointed his parents.Use ', which' to refer to a whole clause.
- ✗ I have many friends, most of them live nearby.✓ I have many friends, most of whom live nearby.You need a relative pronoun to join the two clauses.
Finn's exam tip
If the gap comes after a preposition or a phrase like 'all of' or 'most of', the answer is almost always 'whom' (people) or 'which' (things).
Quick check
Write one word in each gap.
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